Medium-term impact of stump harvesting on general soil parameters in Hylocomiosa site type
2019
Libiete, Z., Latvian State Forest Research Inst. Silava, Salaspils (Latvia) | Bardule, A., Latvian State Forest Research Inst. Silava, Salaspils (Latvia) | Klavins, I., Latvian State Forest Research Inst. Silava, Salaspils (Latvia) | Kalvite, Z., Latvian State Forest Research Inst. Silava, Salaspils (Latvia) | Lazdins, A., Latvian State Forest Research Inst. Silava, Salaspils (Latvia)
Conifer tree stumps are a prospective source of bioenergy, but there are considerable uncertainties and risks associated with this forestry practice, and environmental consequences of stump harvesting are little studied in the Baltic countries. One of the major concerns is related to the risk of nutrient leaching that may cause pollution of watercourses and decline of tree growth in the next forest generation. The main aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of stump harvesting on general soil and soil solution parameters in three clear-cut areas located in Hylocomiosa site type (dominant tree species prior to clearfelling – Picea abies L. (Karst.)) over a period of 6 years after the stump removal. Two types of treatments were compared: whole-tree harvesting with only above-ground biomass removed (WTH) and whole-tree harvesting combined with the stump removal (WTH+SB). We found no acidification effect of soil and soil solution. Soil C and N stocks six years after harvesting were similar in the plots with and without stump removal, and demonstrated similar pattern of change in both studied treatments (WTH and WTH+SB). Nutrient content and patterns of change varied with the site and year, suggesting that the effects are rather site- than treatment-specific.
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